Telangana government sets up panel to audit private universities as per Supreme Court directions

The Telangana government has decided to inspect all private universities in the State in response to directions from the Supreme Court, which has sought detailed information on their establishment, governance, academic standards and regulatory compliance.

The decision is based on the Supreme Court’s directions in the Ayesha Jain vs Union of India case, in which the apex court took note of several complaints relating to private universities, and asked all State governments to conduct comprehensive inspections and submit affidavits covering multiple aspects of their operations.

An official said, in compliance with the order, the government has constituted a high-level committee headed by the Commissioner of Collegiate Education. The committee comprises the Secretary of the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) as convenor, the Registrar of JNTU as member-convenor, the Registrar of Palamuru University, the Chief Finance and Accounts Officer of Osmania University and the Assistant Director (Academic-C), Commissionerate of Technical Education, as members.

According to officials, the apex court has directed the States to furnish details on nine key aspects of private universities. These include the rationale behind establishing each university, the objectives of the sponsoring organisation, and whether any feasibility or policy studies were undertaken before their establishment.

The court has also sought information on land allotments or other concessions granted by the State, the governing bodies managing the institutions, and the process followed for appointing their members.

The affidavit of the committee is also expected to explain the admission process, including entrance criteria and whether they comply with statutory provisions, as well as the recruitment of teaching staff and adherence to the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.

Further, the court has asked States to clarify the mechanism for monitoring compliance with regulations, the frequency of inspections, and the action taken in cases of violations.

A significant focus of the inquiry is on the financial functioning of private universities that claim to operate on a “no-profit, no-loss” basis. Committee will look into whether institutional funds are being diverted for the benefit of promoters or their family members and whether accounts have been audited.

In addition, the committee has to verify whether academic staff are being paid salaries in accordance with statutory minimum wage provisions and UGC norms, and whether salary records have been examined for compliance. Based on the inspection reports, the Telangana government will prepare and submit a detailed affidavit before the Supreme Court.